


A Child Shall Lead Them

by Northern_Lady



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Cute Kids, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Future Fic, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, true knights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-26 04:17:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4989940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northern_Lady/pseuds/Northern_Lady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another Jaime and Sansa story (one shot) from the massive collection on my computer. In this universe, after Dany becomes queen and Sansa's husband Ramsay Bolton is dead, the queen arranges a marriage to ally the north and the south. After their wedding Jaime and Sansa would be content to live on opposite sides of the castle for the rest of their lives but Sansa's daughter by Ramsay has a way of bringing them together. Not a ton of romance here, mostly family fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Child Shall Lead Them

If she had still been a maiden, Jaime Lannister would have cut his own hand and wiped his blood on the sheets rather than bed his trembling bride on their wedding night. He had not been eager to marry Sansa Stark nor had he been dreading it. He found that he didn't feel anything at all. He was just tired. Tired of duty and honor and chivalry, tired of thinking about what had happened to Brienne, tired of remembering Tommen's death and the new dragon queen's eyes when she had claimed that the marriage she had arranged was mercy compared to what he deserved. Perhaps Her Grace had been right about that but why punish Sansa with a Lannister marriage? Jaime had not asked that question to the queen. He didn't want the queen to reconsider her arrangements and have him executed so that Sansa's could go free. And so it was that he spent his wedding night wide awake next to the frightened Stark girl who was clearly doing her best to be brave. An hour or two passed in still silence and neither of them were asleep.

"Will it disturb your rest if I light a candle to read, ser?" Sansa asked breaking the silence.

"No. Read your book. I think I will send for some wine." Jaime left the room briefly and found a servant to bring up some wine. When he returned Sansa was sitting up reading what looked to be a volume on the history of the River lands. He didn't know how she could read such drivel but he made no comment on the matter and simply drank his wine in silence. After he had finished the rather small pitcher of wine he set his glass down with a thunk and Sansa lowered her book and glanced over at him worriedly.

"No, I'm only going to sleep now. There's nothing for you to be worried about." Jaime told her, still irritated with the entire arrangement.

"I wasn't worried." Sansa said stoically but the slight shaking in her hands told him otherwise.

"Good because you needn't be. I'm nothing like your previous husband."

At the mention of Ramsay Bolton she shuddered. He knew very little about her marriage to Ramsay. They'd had a daughter, Lorra, who was now four years of age. Other than that he know nothing but had gathered that the marriage had not been a happy one. In any case Jaime had no plans of bedding her or fathering any children with her which was all he had intended to convey when he'd said he was nothing like Ramsay. 

"So you do not intend to consummate the marriage?" She finally dared to ask.

"No I do not."

Sansa seemed confused about his answer. "Why not?"

"I can't see the point in it." He told her. "I didn't want to marry you. You didn't want to marry me. Our houses have long been enemies. You already have an heir. I don’t need an heir since Tyrion has been given Casterly Rock. Why pretend that this is anything other than a political alliance?"

"My daughter is heir to the Dreadfort. The queen will expect an heir for Winterfell." She pointed out.

"Is that your way of saying that you want me in your bed or do you simply fear the queen more than you fear me?"

"Neither one. It's my way of saying that I want an heir for Winterfell."

Jaime raised an eyebrow at that."Are you quite serious?" He asked her and when she failed to reply he continued. "You're not as brave as you pretend to be. I can see that you're frightened at the prospect of being bedded and yet you claim to be willing. What am I to make of that? Do you fear me because I am a Lannister?"

"No" she said her tone a mixture of firmness and wariness. 

"Then perhaps simply because I am male?"

"No...and yes." She admitted. "But that doesn't change my resolve. I still want a child for Winterfell."

Jaime shrugged. "Then find yourself a man who doesn't frighten you and give Winterfell to his child. You can claim it’s mine if it helps but he best look a little like me if you want anyone to believe your story. In any case, I can't imagine myself fucking a woman I don't love or pretending to love a woman I barely know. So there will be no bedding tonight or any time in the foreseeable future."

"If that is your wish ser...." Sansa picked up her book again and resumed reading. 

It was his wish. Sansa was pretty enough, that wasn’t the problem. But she was stranger to him and he didn’t want a stranger. She didn’t seem relieved about his plans to keep her distant from him. She seemed on edge, anxious. Jaime turned away from her to find sleep, still unsure what she could possibly be thinking and unsure he even wanted to know. He didn’t dislike Sansa Stark but he certainly didn’t care for her either. He would see to it that she was kept safe and fed and clothed, because it was his duty to do so, but beyond that she mattered very little to him. At least that was what he told himself as he tried to fall asleep. 

Jaime awoke late in the night to Sansa’s nightmares. She was struggling with the blankets, whimpering, frightened. He shook her awake gently and she gasped for breath as she sat bolt upright on the bed next to him. 

“Sansa? Are you alright?” He didn’t quite know where this sudden concern for her came from. 

She drew a few more shaky breaths. “I am fine now. Thank you for waking me.” She said as she lay back to down to sleep again. 

Sansa’s nightmares woke him twice more that night and both times she politely thanked him for waking her and then turned away from him to go back to sleep. 

In the following days they fell into a routine. They breakfasted in the great hall of Winterfell with Lorra and several members of the household. After breakfast Sansa went off with the ladies for needlework or whatever it was that ladies did while Lorra played at their feet. Jaime spent much of the morning dealing with matters of household with the Steward and Master at Arms. The noon meals were rarely taken together. Sansa ate with her ladies and Jaime grabbed whatever food he could from the kitchens and ate while he worked. After the evening meal, both Sansa and Lorra joined him in his solar for a few hours. She said it was what her mother and father had done and lord and lady of Winterfell they ought to do the same. Sansa would sew or read or play her harp while Lorra played on the floor with her ragdolls and wooden blocks. Sansa never made conversation with Jaime and he made very little attempt to make conversation with her. He spent the evenings drinking, or reading, or on occasion writing letters though he did a terrible job of writing with his left hand. He had no complaints about this arrangement. It was dull and boring but better that than being dead as the queen had wanted for him. 

After the wedding night Jaime had taken to sleeping alone in his own chambers. Sansa had chambers of her own and she never again expressed a desire for an heir. She seemed to be quite occupied by her daughter as it was and he couldn’t imagine that she would have time for another child. He also couldn’t imagine that she had truly meant what she had said on the wedding night. She had been trying to seem brave. Though he couldn’t be sure of what she’d been so frightened of in the first place. She had certainly been with a man before. Did she expect that all Lannisters were monsters? Jaime didn’t like to think about what she might think of him and so he kept pushing those thoughts out of his mind whenever they came to him.

A moon’s turn passed before any of it began to make sense. Jaime was on his way to the stables when he found Lorra alone in one of the hallways. The child had always kept her distance from him even when she was in his solar in the evenings. He had wondered if Sansa had told her to stay away or if she was just shy but he didn’t ask or press the issue. He stopped for a moment and watched the little girl. Sansa was nowhere in sight nor were any of the maids that usually cared for the girl. Lorra had two dolls and was dressing one of them in a new dress, the old dress lay discarded on the floor. Jaime approached her cautiously, not wanting to frighten her away. 

“Isn’t your mother looking for you, Lorra?” Jaime asked her gently. 

The dark haired little girl with Tully blue eyes looked up at him startled. She looked ready to run away in terror. 

“It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you.” Jaime said, kneeling down to her level. Lorra scurried a few feet away from him at crawl and then stopped, gazing at him with wide frightened eyes. 

“Are you afraid of me?” Jaime asked her. He didn’t need Sansa to care for him but it bothered him immensely that her child would be frightened of him though he couldn’t say why it did. 

Lorra nodded, but to her credit she didn’t run away, she stood her ground and held his gaze. 

“Why? Why are you afraid of me Lorra?” He asked her. 

She wasn’t willing to answer his question right away. She looked like she might run away from him at any moment but she didn’t run, she just stood there frozen in fear. 

“You’re lord of the castle now.” The girl finally blurted out. “Mother said so.” 

“And the lord of the castle is...scary?” He asked her, confused. 

She nodded again. 

“I haven’t been lord of the castle for very long. I don’t know how it works yet. Tell me, what does the lord do?” Jaime asked her, just looking for information on what it was that had her so terrified. 

The little girl gave him a look as if he were stupid. “You really don’t know?” 

“I really don’t know.” Jaime told her. 

“The lord practices swords and goes to battles and goes on hunts and when he isn’t doing that he makes mother cry, every night he makes mother cry...I don’t like lords.” Lorra said though he could see that it took a great deal of courage on her part to say this to him. 

“Why does he make your mother cry?” Jaime asked her, wondering what this child might have seen or experienced. “How do you know this?” 

“I saw… I saw...mother was hurted… she was hurted...I saw...I saw…” Lorra was breaking into tears and becoming incoherent. 

“It’s alright.” Jaime said gently. “You don’t have to tell me.” He would ask Sansa about this.

“I saw… I saw…” The little girl was babbling. 

“Lorra...I don’t know what the last lord of the castle did, what your father did, but I’m not him. I’m not going to hurt you or your mother. Not ever. I promise you that.” 

She stopped babbling and her eyes met his. “Truly?” 

“Yes. Truly.” He told her. 

Her mouth gaped open and she regarded him with wonder, as if it had never occurred to her that such kindness was possible. She tentatively took a few steps closer to him and at arms length she reached out and touched his shoulder and waited as if she expected he might bite or strike. 

“See? I’m perfectly safe.” He said with a grin. 

At that she burst into tears and with childlike trust she threw herself into his arms. Jaime hadn’t expected any of that but he wrapped his arms around the weeping frightened child all the same and held her for as long as she needed him. After several minutes she still hadn’t loosened her grip from around his neck. His knees were getting sore from the cold stone floor, so he stood, taking Lorra with him, and carried her back to her mother. 

“I found this creature in the hallway.” Jaime said as he entered the sewing chambers. 

“Lorra! Why aren’t you with Maddie?” Sansa said, rising to take her daughter from Jaime’s arms. She was clearly displeased to have found the pair of them like they were but she said nothing about it. 

“I don’t like Maddie. I like Ser Jaime. Why can’t I stay with him today?” The child said, clinging to Jaime and ignoring her mother’s open arms. 

“I wouldn’t mind her tagging along for a little while.” Jaime said. He truly wouldn’t. This little girl was like a ray of sunshine in his dull life. 

Sansa at glared at him. The two of them had been getting along well enough for the entire month. They’d not had a single disagreement. This could very easily become the first. 

“But perhaps you’d best stay with your mother.” Jaime told Lorra. “I think she was worried about you.” 

“Please mother?” Lorra looked to Sansa for permission to stay with her newest friend. 

Sansa hesitated. “Only for a little while.” She finally relented. 

Lorra squealed with happiness. 

“Alright, but if you’re going to come with me, you’re going to have to walk on your own two legs. I’ll not carry you everywhere.” Jaime said, setting her down to the floor. Lorra didn’t seem to mind being put down. She gazed up at him with admiration. He gave Sansa a shrug as if to say he had no idea how he’d won her daughter’s affections like he had. Then the pair of them left for the stables. 

Lorra was fascinated by everything in the stables. She’d never spent much time there before and she told Jaime so. He let her brush one of the gentlest horses. Some of the servants showed her how the horses were fed. Lorra was allowed to sit on a pony for a time while Jaime chatted with the stable master. As the time grew near for the evening meal, they left the stables and headed back to the castle. 

“Ser Jaime?” Lorra asked as they neared the door. 

“What is it?” 

“When bad people die, do they really go to one of the seven hells?” She asked. 

“I don’t know.” He hadn’t wanted a theological discussion with a child or with anyone for that matter. And he truly didn’t know the answer to her question though he doubted that the gods or hells really existed.

“I hope they do.” She muttered. “I hope my father is there.” 

Jaime was disturbed by her words. Not only that she knew what the faith taught about hell, but that she wished her own father was there. “What did he do that you would want him there?” And how could she even remember it? Ramsay had died four months earlier. Lorra was only four years old. How much could anyone remember anything from when they were four? 

“He hurt my mother lots of times. I don’t know why. She cried a lot. She had bruises. I had to hide places so he wouldn’t hit me too. Mother showed me where to hide. She was best at finding me places to hide. Usually she gave him lots of wine and he forgot to look for me. Sometimes he didn’t forget.” Lorra went silent as her eyes filled with tears again. 

“What did he do when he found you? Jaime asked her, though his insides were twisting with not wanting to know the answer. 

“He hurt me.” She said timidly. “But I wasn’t scared!” She added emphatically. “I wasn’t. I was brave. Just like mother.” 

Jaime felt sick. “I’m sure you were very brave. But you don’t have to be brave anymore you know? No one is going hurt you now. I won’t let them.” 

“How will you stop them? Will you take out your sword?” She asked him.

“If I have to, yes.” He told her truthfully.

“Just like the knights in the stories?” She asked earnestly. 

“Just like that.” He said. 

“And mother too? You won’t let anyone hurt mother too?” 

“I won’t.” He told her, truly meaning it. 

That evening, after the meal was ended and after Lorra had been put to bed Jaime knocked on the door of Sansa’s chambers. She opened the door to him looking slightly anxious but she opened it all the same. 

“We need to talk.” He told her. 

She nodded and opened the door wider, stepping aside to let him into the room. 

“I don’t want you spending time with my daughter.” Sansa said as soon as the door was shut. 

“What?” Jaime felt as if he had been struck. 

“You heard me. You have no claim to her. I think it would be best if you didn’t spend any time with her.” Sansa said firmly but her jaw was shaking. 

“Sansa, I am not Ramsay. I’m not going to harm her or you.” 

Sansa’s eyes widened with surprise. “How dare you? After what you did to Bran… how dare you?” 

Jaime hadn’t thought about Brandon Stark in years. It had never occurred to him that Sansa would know about that. Though he supposed it made sense that she did. He didn’t have any secrets left anymore to speak of. He didn’t have any honor left anymore either he realized. “Sansa… I’m not the same person I was then.” 

“Why should I believe that? You tried to kill my little brother! He was just a child...a child who wanted to be a Kingsguard… he was so excited when you came to visit….and whatever happened to him after he escaped Theon... he probably died knowing that he could never be a knight of the Kingsguard because of you…Why should I trust you with my daughter after all that?” 

Jaime couldn’t deny that her words were true so he didn’t even try. However he couldn’t help but wonder if she truly even meant what she said. “I seem to recall that you wanted an heir for Winterfell. Did you plan to keep my own child away from me too?” 

Sansa paled. “Yes.” She admitted. “I would have him fostered far away from here as soon as he was old enough.” 

Jaime shook his head in disbelief. “So this morning, letting Lorra go with me to the stables that was just what? Avoiding a scene in front of your maids?” 

“Not entirely. I didn’t want to be too adamant about saying no or it might have given her cause to fear. She’s had enough fear in her life. But I’m saying no now. Keep your distance from my daughter.” Sansa said firmly. 

“Or what?” Jaime took a step closer to her and she stepped back, fear in her eyes. He’d never had a woman look at him with that sort of fear before. Sansa was afraid of him. He didn’t like it. “Fine.” He said with a sigh. “I won’t seek her out. But if she tries to follow me around like she did today I can’t stop her.” 

“You can say no.” Sansa pointed out. 

“I seem to recall that I tried to say no this morning. You were the one who allowed her to go to the stables with me.” 

“Just don’t encourage her.” Sansa told him. 

Jaime shook his head again, deciding not to bother bringing up the things that Lorra had told him. “Good night Sansa.” He said, taking his leave before he could no longer mask his irritation. 

The following day Jaime did not see Lorra. Sansa kept her close by all day. After the evening meal she took her daughter’s hand and was almost past the door to his solar when Lorra spoke up. “Mother where are we going? Don’t we go to the solar after dinner?” 

“Not tonight dear.” Sansa said. “I’ll read to you in your room tonight.” 

Jaime was in the doorway waiting to see what they would do. 

“I want Ser Jaime to read to me this time.” Lorra said. 

Sansa looked horrified, her mouth opened as if to say something then she changed her mind and closed it again. When she finally did speak her voice was strained. “I’m sure Ser Jaime has very important things to do. Besides it’s my favorite story in this book. I wouldn’t want to miss it.” She glared at Jaime, willing him to agree with her or to close the door and send them away. He took a step into the room as if to cooperate with her when Lorra spoke up again. 

“But mother, Ser Jaime could read and you could listen! Please!” 

Sansa’s eyes met his and they were filled with helpless anger. “Fine.” She said through gritted teeth. “Just this once.” 

Sansa followed Lorra into Jaime’s solar and watched with barely disguised horror as Lorra climbed into Jaime’s lap and gave him her storybook. She curled up and lay her head on his shoulder as he read to her and within a short time she had fallen asleep in his arms. Sansa got up from her sewing as soon as he stopped reading and went to move her sleeping child away from him. 

“There’s no need.” Jaime said, standing before she could reach him. “I’ll carry her to bed.” 

“I’m coming with you. I wouldn’t want you to drop her.” Sansa said. 

Jaime ignored the comment and made his way to Lorra’s chambers and placed her gently on her bed. Sansa gave the girl a kiss on the forehead and then followed Jaime out the door. 

For nearly a fortnight, Lorra insisted that Jaime read to her at bedtime. Sansa tolerated it but did not like it. 

“Mother will you come sit with us?” Lorra asked one evening near the end of the second week. 

“I’m fine right here.” Sansa said, barely looking up from her sewing. 

“Please Mother? You can’t see the pictures from over there. And I want to sit with you.” Lorra went on sweetly. 

Hesitantly, Sansa got up and joined her daughter and husband on the small sofa. There wasn’t a lot of space which meant that she and Jaime were sitting shoulder to shoulder. As Jaime resumed reading, Lorra reached for Sansa’s hand, in doing so she reached awkwardly across Jaime’s arm. Without stopping the story, Jaime shifted position and put his arm around Sansa, allowing the girl to reach her mother without his arm in the way. Sansa sat stiffly through the entire story while Lorra, as usual, fell into a relaxed sleep. Once she was asleep Jaime fell silent for a time. Sansa seemed afraid to move. 

“Is it really so bad, sitting like this?” He dared to ask her. 

“I don’t...I don’t know…” Sansa managed to say. 

Jaime sighed. “What can I do to make you not hate me?” 

“I don’t… I don’t exactly hate you.” She said. 

“But you are afraid of me?” 

“I suppose I am.” She admitted. 

“I’ve been here almost two moons and have I ever harmed you in that time?” He asked her. 

“No Ser, you have not.” She said stiffly. “You haven’t harmed Lorra either.” She said more gently, glancing at the way her little girl was sleeping comfortably against his chest. “I can remember falling asleep on my father like that when I was very small.” Sansa went on, tears in her eyes. Then she shook her head as if shaking herself free from her memories. “That was before I knew the truth about the world… she trusts you...she told me this morning that I was wrong, that true knights do exist and she thinks you’re one of them...if you ever hurt her your fate will be the same as Ramsay’s and Peter Baelish.” 

“So what they say is true then?” Jaime said, alluding to the rumors that Sansa had poisoned the both of them. He wanted to protest, to tell Sansa that he was not what she thought he was but he couldn’t see the point. She was too bitter to ever believe him. 

“Lorra needs to go to bed.” Sansa said, avoiding the question. 

“I won’t hurt her.” Jaime said sincerely. 

“I would like to believe that Ser but I do not think it is possible.” She moved to get up off of the sofa. He caught her hand before she could leave. 

“I won’t hurt her.” He said more firmly than before. “I won’t hurt you either. I’m not the same person I used to be. It was a terrible thing that I did to Bran. Unforgivable. I am truly sorry for it, but I am not the person I was back then any more than you are the innocent maiden who admired Prince Joffrey from afar. I don’t want you to fear me or fear for your daughter just because I live here.” 

Something softened in Sansa’s eyes, as if she were taking his words to heart. “How have you changed?” She asked him gently. “If you expect me to trust you, I need to know. How are you different from the man who fought my father’s men in King’s Landing and who pushed my little brother from a tower?” 

“What I did, I did to protect my family, my brother Tyrion and Cersei’s children…” He began, unsure how to go on. 

“You mean your children?” Sansa prompted. 

“Yes. My children. Robert would have killed them if he had known. But I didn’t learn until after I lost my hand, that a sword isn’t always the best way to resolve everything. Had I to do it over again, I would have done things very differently.” He told her though he could see the skepticism in her eyes. “Sansa, I have never harmed a child before or since that day with Bran. He was a stranger to me and I meant to protect people I loved. I have already learned to care for Lorra. She is safe with me I swear it.” 

Sansa didn’t even try to hide the look of utter disbelief on her face and he knew what she was thinking. Oathbreaker. Kingslayer. How dare he swear an oath when his promises meant nothing? 

“I know what you’re thinking.” Jaime went on. “But there are things you don’t know about Aerys Targaryen and about that day when I broke my vows.” 

“What things?” 

“The king had been gathering a supply of wildfire during much of the rebellion. He’d had it stored in caches underneath the whole city. In the end, he ordered the whole city burned, then men women and children, everyone, he ordered me to bring him my father’s head, so I killed him before anyone could carry out his commands.” 

Sansa seemed surprised to hear this version of events but she said nothing. 

“I never took my oaths lightly. I once had as much honor as you Starks. But five hundred thousand people… and my own father...protect the king...it was an oath I could not keep…” 

“I am sorry Ser.” Sansa finally said after some silence. “Perhaps I have misjudged you on some accounts.” 

Jaime let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “So will you believe me when I say that I will not harm you or Lorra?” 

“I will try to believe it.” She said and he knew it was the best she could offer under the circumstances. 

It wasn’t until Sansa pulled away from him to bring Lorra to bed that he realized he had been holding her hand that entire time and she had allowed him to. 

Each night after that, Lorra insisted that her mother sit next to her while Jaime read the story. They sat cuddled together in his solar and after a week Sansa stopped sitting so stiffly and relaxed her posture just a little. Sometimes after Lorra fell asleep they would sit and chat about matters of household or about books or even about Lorra and after that they would take the child to to bed and go each to their own chambers. A moon’s turn passed in this manner and Jaime found that Sansa’s mood was improved somehow. She wasn’t as sad as she had been when he’d arrived at Winterfell. She smiled more often, sometimes she laughed at his wit, her words were a little less guarded. He thought it seemed like a good change. 

It was a cool morning in the great hall and everyone was nearly finished with breakfast. The stewart came shuffling in with the news that they had guests at the gates. 

“Do you know who it is?” Jaime asked. 

“I do not Ser. The party of five were all wearing hooded cloaks and they are not displaying any banners or house colors.” 

“Alright. I’ll go to the gates with you to greet them.” Jaime said. 

“They asked to speak with Lady Stark.” The Stewart said somewhat awkwardly. 

“Then I suppose I will speak to them.” Sansa said. She followed Jaime and the servants to the gates with Lorra trailing not far behind. 

The gates were opened and five men on horseback were let inside. The first one in, who seemed to be the leader, dismounted and let down his hood. “Lady Sansa.” He said. 

Jaime did not recognize the stranger but looking at Sansa he could see that she did recognize him and not in a good way. Her hands were trembling and there was fear in her eyes but her body was rigid, resolved to be brave as was her way. 

“Walton…” She breathed, then composed herself. “Why have you returned? I dismissed all of Ramsay’s household after he died. I told you to never return.” 

“If the lady sent you away, you should not have returned.” Jaime spoke up. 

“Pardon the intrusion m’lady and m’lord. We haven’t been able to find much work elsewheres. We hoped that you might let us return to work here. We’ll gladly keep to the stables or the yards, you need not ever see us. We’re sorry for what we did. Truly we are. What say you m’lady?” Walton asked, head bowed. 

“No.” Sansa said, her jaw gave a slight quiver. “I want you to leave.” 

“My lady please! There’s been no food for three days!” One of the men protested, taking a step toward her. 

Sansa stumbled backwards to get away from him but it wasn’t enough. He dropped to his knees at her feet and caught her skirt. “Don’t touch me!” She shrieked. Jaime didn’t know why she feared these men as much as she did but whatever they had done, he wouldn’t let them disturb her like this. In seconds he was pulling the begging man away from Sansa himself. 

“Stay away from the lady.” He told the man shoving him away. The man found his feet and looked questioningly to Sansa to see if she might be merciful. 

“Perhaps you could send us away with a basket of food from the kitchens?” One of the men suggested to her quietly. 

She shook her head, unwilling or afraid to grant even this small mercy. 

“Mother?” Lorra whimpered and it was only then that Jaime noticed she was curled up hiding behind Maddie who had followed them out to the yard as was her duty. Lorra caught his gaze and spoke again. “Ser Jaime, those are very bad men. Will you make them leave? You promised…” 

“They are leaving now.” He told the child, then he turned to the men. “Get out.” 

“But the food?” One of them dared to ask. 

“Get out!” Jaime repeated and at that they did. As soon as the gate was closed Lorra ran to him. He picked her up and let her weep her thanks onto his shoulder. The servants cleared the yard and only the three of them were left, Jaime Sansa and Lorra. 

“Thank you.” Sansa said, tears in her eyes. 

“I didn’t do anything.” Jaime said. “You could have ordered any of the men at arms to take the visitors away. You didn’t need me.” 

Sansa came closer to him and put a hand on his arm. “Yes I did.” 

Her words took him off guard and for once in his life he didn’t know what to say. 

“Lorra, I think Ser Jaime should let you down and you can go back to Maddie now.” Sansa said. 

“Walton is never coming back?” The child asked. 

“Never.” Jaime told her as he let her down to the ground and hurried off to find Maddie. 

“What happened? Who were they?” He asked Sansa. 

“I don’t know how much Lorra remembers or how much she has told you but Ramsay was not kind to either of us. He was very fond of handing out punishments whenever he could and on occasion those men assisted him.” Sansa told him. 

“Assisted him how?” 

A few tears slipped out of her eyes. “They held me down so that Ramsay could…” Sansa got choked up, unable to continue. “They held me down sometimes and other times they helped him find and catch Lorra so that he could torment her. He didn’t hit her often but he did hit her sometimes and he found other ways of making her cry, breaking her toys, saying nasty things, and if I did anything to try and stop him, those men would hold me down and not let me interfere.” 

“So he raped you, and beat you, and was cruel to your daughter?” Jaime asked her sadly. “And those men I just sent away, helped him do it?” 

She nodded. 

“Get my horse!” Jaime called to a nearby passing servant. “I’m going after them.” 

That night Sansa found him in the godswood, washing the blood from his sword in the water. “The stewart told me you were here. I take it you found them?” 

“I did. I was told that northern lords like to visit the godswood and cleanse their weapons. I thought it was a good time to start.” Jaime told her. 

“Are they dead?” 

“They are. I hadn’t set out to kill them. I was going to bring them back to the dungeons but they chose to resist. I’m not sorry that they did.” 

“Why did you go after them at all?” She asked him. 

“Sansa… as Lord of Winterfell, what would your father have done in my place?” 

“I suppose he would have gone after them…. but I didn’t think you cared for Winterfell or for being a lord.” She said. 

She was mostly right about that. He disliked the North and found lordship to be dull. Though he did care for honor, he cared for duty far less. “I don’t, not much anyway, but I do care for you and for Lorra.” 

Sansa silently took in his words but after half a minute passed she burst into tears. “Thank you.” She said for the second time that day and to his surprise she threw herself into his arms much like her daughter had done nearly three months earlier. He dropped the sword to the ground and held her close. It felt good to have her close. He didn’t know when or why that had changed between them. Maybe it was because he had been putting his arm around her every evening in his solar while he read. Maybe it was because she had finally learned to smile when he was nearby. Maybe he had needed her to need him for longer than he had realized. All he knew was that he felt as relieved at having her in his arms as she did to be there. 

After a long while passed, her sobbing ceased and she gently pulled away from him. He let her go. She didn’t go far. She stepped away from him just slightly and clung to his arms. 

“What happened to you, Sansa?” He asked her sadly. “What did Ramsay do to you?” 

She swallowed as she thought about answering him.“I didn’t want to marry him. I did it for Winterfell and for a chance at revenge… even so, I thought that I was willing to do my duty by him until the right moment came for revenge...then on our wedding night...he made Theon watch...I’ve never known such humiliation or such pain...I thought that when Joffrey had me stripped naked and beaten in front of the entire court it might have been the worst I would have to endure but Ramsay was far worse…” She stopped speaking, trying to regain her composure. 

“Joffrey had you beaten? Why?” Jaime hadn’t been aware of any of this. 

Her eyes met his. “Because my brother took you prisoner.” 

“I’m sorry.” Jaime said. 

Sansa only nodded and went on. “Joffrey had me punished many times. It was nothing new. The worst he gave me were bruises and welts. Ramsay was far worse. I still have scars from what he did...I still have nightmares…” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t be alone at night.” Jaime suggested. He hadn’t meant to suggest anything forward, only that one of her handmaids could share her room, but Sansa gazed up at him with such hope in her eyes that he wondered if she wanted him to stay in her chambers at night. 

“That might be nice.” Sansa said, her gaze never leaving his. “I find that of late, I look forward to Lorra’s story time all day, and I’m always sad when it has ended. I feel safer when you are near. Perhaps I shouldn’t, perhaps Father is turning over in his grave because I dared to even say such a thing, but I do.” 

A cold breeze blew through the godswood and Jaime responded by lifting the hood on Sansa’s cloak to make her warmer. “We should get back inside. It’s getting late.” 

They met Lorra coming out of the castle just before they made it inside. Maddie followed the child close behind. 

“I’m sorry m’lady.” Maddie began. “I know I supposed to put her to bed but she wanted her story and she said I don’t read the words as well as Ser Jaime does.” 

“It’s quite alright.” Jaime said. “I wouldn’t want to miss story time either.” He picked up Lorra and carried her the rest of the way inside and back up to his solar, followed by Sansa. 

Sansa shed her woolen winter cloak and hung it on a hook in the corner of the room. Lorra climbed into Jaime’s lap and curled up there, already sleepy from the late hour. Sansa joined them on the small sofa and leaned in closer to Jaime when he put his arm around her. It didn’t take long for Lorra to be fast asleep and to Jaime’s surprise, Sansa had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder as well. He thought about waking the both of them and seeing them off to bed. He was sitting in a rather awkward position and probably wouldn’t sleep well where he was but he found that he didn’t care. He’d rather be uncomfortable and have his family near than to have a comfortable bed all to himself. His family, he realized, that’s exactly what they were and he would never give them up after this. Never.


End file.
